A Grand Tour

After choosing his new Warlock name, Mortius figured he’d need to see the place he would call home for the year. Clive had a class to attend, so Mortius was left to wander a little bit.

“Ho there!!” a huge, bellowing voice with a funny accent echoed from one end of the hallway. Mortius looked around frantically but saw nobody. The hallway was quiet and empty, with not even dust to occupy the space.

“You there! Boy! Look at me, will you?!” the voice yelled again.

“Who are you?!”, Mortius yelled as he gripped his staff and adopted a very clumsy battle position.

“No, no, no, up here.”, the voice yelled again. Mortius looked directly above him and saw a small, round object hovering in the air. It had thin, transparent wings flapping at an incredible rate, and wore all green and had a blue, pointy hat. Its skin was brushed pink, but it had a long, white moustache above its lips.

“What do you think you’re doing?! All new intakes should go down to the Atrium to collect their Guide!” the man shouted, surprisingly loud for a creature of his tiny size. Mortius relaxed, placing his staff down and studied the small creature for a moment.

“Okay… so what are you, then?” he asked. The man rolled his eyes so far that they looked like they might do a complete 360 rotation.

“Well, what do you think, professor?! I’m a Fīalde! Guides are Fīalde who… wanna guess?” he asked sarcastically.

“Erm… guide?”, Mortius said questioningly.

“Oh, give the boy a biscuit! This one’s going places!” the flying fat man mocked even further.

“Is this personal insult part of the school experience, or is there a point to it?”, Mortius asked.

“No, all within the new starter service.. Now then, I think all the guides downstairs are taken anyway, so… erm… oh, I know. WINKLE! FRONT AND CENTRE!” he screeched. A ball of light appeared before him, shimmering and glowing before a popping sound, and an even more miniature female Fīalde appeared. She stood, or hovered, to attention and didn’t move even an inch. She had the same facial colour shade as the other guy, but wore a golden dress cut off just above the knees with more pink shaded wings on her back and medium-length pink hair. She had a rounded face and a slight rose blush on her cheeks, accompanied by bold lipstick. Her eyes were huge and round as well, deep but light blue and covered by large squared glasses that seemed too big for her face.

“Winkle reporting, sir!” she yelled.

“Yeah, yeah. Today’s the day to show me you aren’t completely hopeless. This guy will be the one you’re guiding. Make sure he stays out of trouble”, the Fīalde said before popping and disappearing. Mortius looked puzzled at his new guide who hovered in the air, making notes, before turning to him sternly and commandingly.

“I assume you must be a Warlock?” she asked. Mortius was left quite surprised as she began speaking in flawless Göndradhe.

“You know my language.”

“Correct. Every Fīaldas like me is capable of understanding all known languages.” Mortius needed to admit that it was quite impressive, and nice to know he could communicate in his native language since he had no plans on looking for any friends here.

“We should speak Fōlclicg most of the time. So that I may practice.” Winkle nodded and began with her work.

“Right then, mister! Let’s start this orientation session!” Winkle ordered as she zoomed around Mortius’ head in a circle and led the way down the corridor and toward the elevator. The two proceeded into an empty compartment and made their way downwards, back to the Atrium.

“So! This is where you began your visual journey, the Atrium! I’ll give you a few seconds to soak it in”, Winkle said as Mortius took some time to grasp the scenery fully, not realising how little he paid attention to it when he arrived. It was only now that Mortius realised how big the Institute was, as all of its nine floors could be seen just by looking up directly. The Atrium was a giant hall made entirely of old wood, brushed dark but not so dark that the natural line pattern of the wood couldn’t be seen. Most of the area was made with traditional brown oak, but the joints and beams were a darker hue of brown, and the floor was the same shade as the walls, creating a natural look all around. There was no sense of a looming tower of evil ambience about this place, but more of a forest cabin feel with all the old, yet sturdy, woodwork around. Somehow, the Atrium managed to be both overbearing and intimidating as well as inviting and comfortable simultaneously. This was most likely helped by the rusted black chandeliers lined neatly around the area, suspended underneath the platforms where the first-floor walkways were. Complementing these chandeliers were giant pot braziers roaring flames across the sides of the room, adding to the bright light surrounding the area. Intricate patterns and drawings were carved into every single beam and plank, detailing the histories of the Institute and magic as a concept all the way back to the creation of all things.

“Alright, time’s up. Now, if you look straight ahead, you’ll see the wide area right here in front of the main entrance is the Study Hall. Here you can work with your classmates on homework, spellwork, any other kind of work. Just make sure you keep the chatter to a minimum so everyone can work. Noise from spells is fine though.” Winkle continued to hover and explain. The Study Hall was deadly quiet at the moment, with fairies zooming everywhere and flying pieces of paper folded into swans. Staves, weapons and even tomes were propped up against desks and lying on the floor in a few cases. Still, most of them were neatly placed on racks that lined the room's edges, floating in suspension within some kind of energy ring holder. Covering the entire floor were long tables with various students seated at them, some huddled together in groups of around 8 or 9 and others scattered with two or three. The rest were studying solo, poring over a book or two. The most baffling thing was that the tables and chairs matched the Institute's stark brown wood decor and looked like old antiques. Between the staff racks, there were also matching benches with various students sitting on them, only casually reading books or practising their sigils.

“What are these things?” Mortius inquired. Winkle turned around to see him swatting away the paper swans.

“Oh, those are messengers. It’s how everyone communicates when they aren’t face-to-face.” She explained that things like reminders, questions, and appointments were all written on them and then folded into the swan shape.

“So what do you do if you don’t know how to fold paper like that? Or even make them magically come to life?”, Mortius asked, still annoyed by the swans as he ducked and bobbed his head out of their flight paths.

“Learn. Once it’s folded, it’ll fly”, Winkle sneered, continuing the tour. The two began to approach the back of the Study Hall, and Mortius was stopped for a moment. He felt a very baffling sensation before him, noticing the faint aroma of mint wafting around. He could see the second part of the Hall as he looked forward, but the vision was blurred, similar to how the world looked when gas leaked.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Oh yeah, this is the Dāl. It’s a separation barrier that allows students in the Study Hall to maintain a nice calm area so they can focus. On the other side, lots of noise”, Winkle commented, proceeding forward. Mortius also walked along, not feeling anything more than a light breeze but noticing his ears clogged and the sound around him dampened. After blowing out his ears for proper hearing, Mortius was deafened by the buzz and chatter on the other side of the Rift.

“And this here is the Social Hall!” Winkle shouted, showing off the other side of the Hall. Mortius looked around and saw that it was almost exactly the same. Still, there were round tables with benches instead of long tables. Students were chatting away, eating and drinking, showing off loud and obnoxious spells, and even getting up on the tables, delivering lectures like a street preacher. This part of the hall seemed much more alive than the other half, also somehow looking lighter in colour despite being the same bold wood as before. At the very back of the room was a large tapestry, depicting a line of four figures. One wearing a long, green robe and wielding a twisted and scarred branch that could only be assumed to be a staff. Another was clad in fine, silver armour, wearing a golden crown upon his head and wielding a great longsword with inscriptions going up the blade. The one at the back of the line wore a deep red gown and had a black veil covering her face. She wore a silver tiara with a green jewel in the middle and seemed to be adorned in flames. The one between the warrior and the wizard was a scholarly-looking man, wearing a simple brown robe and a circular rope headdress, looking very much like a priest and holding a small brown book. Each of these figures was surrounding a tall building that looked almost identical to the Institute itself, raising their hands toward it.

“Here you can chat with all your friends, experiment with the more loud, dangerous or bizarre spells and just have a break from classes. Provided you actually have a break slot and, considering your timetable, you don’t have any. We won’t count this, and a message will be sent to your… combat scholar to explain your absence”, Winkle explained.

“Combat? So a staff is basically useless?”, Mortius asked.

“Well, not exactly. See that over there?” Winkle pointed over at one of the tables. Mortius turned to look at the table and saw a bunch of older-looking students gathered around it, mulling over a giant pile of weapons. Swords, crossbows, shields and daggers, mainly but a few others too. They were sharpening their blades and pummelling the hammers, laughing all the while.

“Even though some people use weapons, everything can be considered a weapon. Even the ouros are weapons in a sense. If you know the right spell”, she answered, slightly grinning at Mortius’ face, which looked somewhat unsettled. The two embarked on the elevator, and Winkle touched a red button with a pair of wings on it. The gears squealed, and the elevator slowly made its way upward.

“Okay, here’s a quick tour of the levels to get your feet wet. You can search around to your heart's desire later”, she said as they reached the first floor.

Winkle took Mortius through the levels, showing him each floor where his classes would be for the year. Mortius learned that different classes started at different years, like Portals which only began in his sixth year. Each floor had a different number of doors that all followed the same basic design, wooden doors inside decorated archways, but each decoration was unique from the others in some small way. One he would be going to often on the Fourth Floor would be the Spell Weaving class, a first year basic. This archway seemed to be designed with a mixture of coins and flowers, all wrapped up in ribbons. Another classroom on the Third Floor, however, had a different design. The Religions class had designs of strange winged creatures with sharp teeth and long, skinny arms, all reaching out from the sides of the archway.

“All of these floors have loads of other doors, what are they for?” Mortius asked as they made the journey upwards. Winkle shook her head and shrugged.

“I’d say open them and find out but… don’t. You only need the classrooms and… ah this place”, the elevator stopped and Winkle pointed down to the right at a door that broke the traditional archway scheme.

“The Supplements Store. This is where you’ll get all of your lesson supplies from. Just… be careful of the store owner.” Winkle warned.

“Why? Is he dangerous?”

“No, he’s an idiot…”

Mortius raised an eyebrow as the tour continued, going up and eventually reaching the ninth floor where the High Scholar’s office was. As he looked around, Mortius noticed something shining and looked up. He was startled to see a bunch of light-emitting clouds above him, moving around ever so slowly.

“What is that?” he asked, pointing up. Winkle looked in the direction he pointed and laughed.

“That’s the Sky Vault. It’s where the Drust dorms and cafeteria is. Only Drust can go in there, and since it used to be only the rare Anglas that got into that place, it was made to look like a sort of replica of Ancund. Though it was considered a mockery by some people. Nowadays, anyone gets into Dresti, but mainly Angels. Explains why it’s the smallest circle”, she said, slamming both her feet on the metal plate and sending the elevator suddenly shooting downwards. Mortius was sent flying upwards, smacking his head on the ceiling and hitting the floor again when the elevator abruptly stopped just before the ground floor.

“Oh yes, I forgot to tell you to hold the rail”, Winkle chuckled, opening the elevator. Mortius grumbled angrily, rubbing his head and back as he exited the elevator compartment.

“Well then, that’s all of it. The Nether Floor is below, accessible through that stone archway and creepy-looking door over there. There you have Īdelcræft class, also not accessible until the sixth year. Also, the Chapel, where you have your prayers and/or tributes and then the Arena. Now follow me, and I’ll show you where you sleep and eat”, Winkle began to flutter to the exit and outside the Institute.

“Wait a minute… How do all the rooms fit in there? The Institute is just a tall, thin tower”, Mortius asked, pointing up at the building. Winkle turned around to look and shook her head.

“Magic, obviously. Each door is a portal to a classroom situated in its own dimension. So plenty of learning space and not a lot of maintenance needed. Just be sure to not go into the classrooms after hours without a Scholar. We had a student go in once and never come back out.” Mortius began to feel concerned yet again. It seemed that there was more danger to be expected here than learning.

“Now then. To your left is the Kȏskȍry Wood, where the Kherza are housed and also where you’ll have your Inmirc class and Creatures class. To the right are the Void Pools and the Gardah Arena behind it. Gardah Arena is for the Gardah obviously, and, of course, the Void Pools are for Morzestus. Follow, please”. Mortius walked along the grounds with Winkle fluttering ahead. Mortius stopped immediately as they arrived and was surprised and slightly concerned by what he saw. Before him were several large pools, as described in the name, but the water within them was pitch black, not allowing any light to enter. Weirdest of all, the sludge water of the pools was dripping upwards. Small balls of water were suspended in the air and dripping downwards, with a stream of black water falling from them. Still, it seemed like it was upside down, and the drips were rising into the suspended balls. It was most bizarre, but this probably wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d seen, nor the strangest he’d had yet to see.

“Now then, just walk in and get yourself acquainted. The big one in the centre there is for the dorms, and the small one next to it is the cafeteria”, Winkle pointed before packing up her notebook.

“What about these other five here?” he asked.

“I haven’t a single idea. Now, you’ll have classes starting soon, so tidy yourself up,  maybe have a shower, and I’ll see you again at your next break.” Winkle cheerfully disappeared in a puff of smoke. Mortius frowned and looked at the pool. It oozed and squelched, giving him an incredibly visceral reaction. Slowly walking forward, he dipped his toe in the water, which squished at his touch. He shivered as he continued inwards, slowly walking downwards as if he were going down a staircase. The water covered his face, and he held his breath, closed his eyes, and continued walking. After a few seconds, he felt the feeling of stone smack him in the face, and he opened his eyes to see a stone wall. To his left, a giant room decorated in a highly dark gothic manner, adorned in red decorations. The walls were patterned in a red and gold wallpaper with spirals swirling upward to the edges where the ceiling began, of which there seemed to be no actual material, only swirling black clouds that gave no rain. The whole room itself was oval-shaped, with a fire pit in the centre of the room and two long sofas surrounding the pit facing opposite each other and two armchairs next to each other on the right as well as one singular on the left, all of which were black leather and had red tapestry blanket coverings on the backrest, armrests and seats. At each end of the oval room were stained glass windows with depictions of the same woman in red that Mortius saw on the tapestry as well as various creatures surrounding her on each window. There were very sophisticated-looking tables here and there and an open archway at the back of the room with a maroon swirling energy inside. Mortius saw a few students scattered here and there in this common area, some relaxing and snoozing on the sofas and others reading quietly at the tables.

As he entered, he looked to his right. He saw an archway with two separate stairs leading off in different directions. Following the left stairs downwards, Mortius found himself in one of the dorm areas. Searching around the room, he saw an area with his name placed on the front of the bed. The room had a long row of beds and stations, similar to a hospital ward. Each area had a twin bed, a bedside table and a desk at the foot of the bed with a chair in front. A little to the left of each bed was a chest of drawers, upon which many students seemed to have placed personal items, trinkets and funny idols or statues. Mortius placed his staff down at his place, with his new name carved at the foot of the bed. It was strange to believe this was his life now, but when he put things into perspective, it was much better than the boring life at home. Spells, magic, runes and secrets. It was more than any other teenager could handle, and despite everything, Mortius felt ready to take the challenge.